Nightmares and Reality
by ItsBlueJay
Summary: Eight had nightmares. And Three is there to help her.


Eight had nightmares. Of course she did, any sane person who had gone through what she did would. But knowing that fact didn't make them any easier to deal with. Almost every night, the Octoling was jerked awake by her memories of that place, the tests, the bombs, the train, the statue, everything. She couldn't forget, she couldn't escape. It was the first part of her life that she could properly remember.

Eight had nightmares every night. But tonight, it was especially bad. She was in one of the stations again, and the bomb was on her back. C.Q. was talking to her over speakers, giving her instructions. It was a perfect-match test. Those… those were the worst tests. Those and the eight-balls.The eight balls… Eight hated even thinking about them.

Test Failed. **Bang. _Splat._**

Test Failed. **Bang. _Splat_.**

Test Failed. **Bang. _Splat._**

It never ended. Until suddenly, it did. And she wasn't in the test anymore. Now, she was in the blender. The blades were spinning, coming down from the ceiling, threatening to rip her and Captain Cuttlefish apart. Tartar was laughing, CQ was watching. It looked like the little sea slug was crying, even. But Three was coming. Three was going to save her! Any moment now, she was going to fall through that glass ceiling, weapon in hand and ready to kick some ass!!

But she wasn't there yet. Eight could feel the blades clipping at her tentacles… where was Three?? Panic overtook the octoling, and she started to scream, pounding against the glass of the massive contraption she was being held in. She needed to get out, she couldn't die like this!! She had a whole life to live, and she had to get to the surface!!

Outside the blender, It seemed Tartar had heard her screams, and he was laughing. And somehow, he knew her name, her real name… he was calling her, over and over, mocking her as the blades continued their descent.

"NO!! No, let me out!! Let me out, I don't wanna die!!" Eight shrieked and pounded against the thick glass, but Tartar didn't answer. He just kept laughing, calling her name with a wild look in his synthetic eyes. Eight screamed herself hoarse, before just giving up and sobbing in a curled-up ball. The last thing she saw was the blades of the blender right above her eye.

Agent Eight woke up in her bed with a wild, guttural scream of anguish. She was on high alert, thrashing wildly to get her sheets off and get out onto the floor. With very little effort, she shoved herself off of the piece of furniture and landed on the floor with a loud THUD. The whole time, someone was trying to say something, but she was too scared to figure out who. After about a minute of freaking out, the octoling feels arms around her shoulders and gentle breath on her ear. She quickly curls up at the touch, hiding between her knees and whimpering.

"Hey… Hey, calm down babe, it's just me. It's me, it's Lucy." The red-headed octopus looks up, choking out a gasp when she sees a sickly, glowing green. It was Three, yes. But not her Three. She was the half-sanitized Three, the Three that tried to kill her. Eight's ink runs cold, and she scrambles away from the Inkling.

"N-No!! Get away from me! Let her go!!" Not-Three looks confused, worried.

"Els… Ellie, what are you talking about?"

"Let her go!" Eight repeats, before reaching for an octoshot on her hip that wasn't there. When she can't feel her weapon of choice, she snarls.

Suddenly, Not-Three's eyes light up in quiet realization. "Oh… I know what's happening. Listen to me, babe, you aren't there. I promise you aren't there. You just had a nightmare, and now you're hallucinating. I promise I'm not trying to hurt you." Not-Three holds up her empty hands, revealing countless grip marks and even a few ink scars that run over her fingers and palms. All she was wearing was a long white T-shirt that managed to fall all the way to her knees, she wasn't armed or anything. Her tentacles waved gently back and forth as she spoke, a calm, muted orange light illuminating her ankles and just a bit of her face.

Eight screws her eyes shut, shaking her head back and forth aggressively. Stop it, _stop it, **STOP IT!!**_ Stupid brain, stop that! Bad brain, calm down. You're out, it isn't real. Three isn't doing anything, she's not gonna hurt you stop it stop it **stop it_STOP IT._**

She doesn't hear the other woman say anything else, but she does feel arms slowly wrap around her and when the heck did she get down on the ground?? Whatever, she didn't care. She just felt… Blegh.

* * *

It takes nearly an hour of hugging, cuddling, and comforting words to calm Eight down all the way, but once she does get calmed down, she very quickly curls up into Three's arms. The orange inkling sighs with relief, her grip tightening on the larger girl.

"You had that nightmare again. The one… The one where we're fighting?"

"N-no… not that one. The- The one where I'm in the blender and you don't make it…"

"Shit, I'm sorry Els. Is there anything you want me to do? Blankets, some water?"

"... Lucy?"

"What is it?"

"Can you sing for me?"

Three pauses at her girlfriend's request, not sure what to do. She didn't really sing much, just every once in awhile in the shower, or while she was making breakfast. She wasn't the biggest fan of her own voice, she thought it was raspy and cracked and far too low. But, Eight was here, and she was asking with those puppy eyes that the older agent could never seem to find the ability to resist. With a faked grumpy sigh, Three presses a kiss to the top of Ellie's head, and nods, much to the smaller octoling's delight.

"Fine, but only for you."

Slowly, very quietly, Three starts to sing a soft lullaby, her voice low, slow, and gentle. The sound, as quiet as it was, reverberated around the room, echoing quietly off the walls and every other item in the area. Eight could almost see the notes bouncing off of the walls, gently glowing in time with Three's tentacles, dimming and growing brighter like a firebug's light. Her eyelids begin to droop, and she curls up into her girlfriend's side. Three cuddles the bigger octoling close, and she starts to rock back and forth gently, continuing her lullaby.

It isn't long before Ellie is asleep once again, snoring lightly with her head cuddled into Lucy's chest. With a fond sigh, Three stands up and places her girlfriend on the bed, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders before crawling in herself. Shutting her eyes, the inkling presses their foreheads together, one cool hand resting on Ellie's warm cheek.

"I love you, babe. Sweet dreams."

Ellie didn't have any more nightmares that night.


End file.
